The suite of rooms was dark and silent when Nia flung aside the bedcovers and padded around collecting her belongings. She shoved everything into her pack slowly, drawing it out as long as possible until all that was left was to slip her feet into her boots and survey the still room around her. She had never undressed the night before.

At 0355 according to the chrono on the nightstand she shouldered the pack and eased the door open. Nia paused and held her breath, but there was no change from the deep and regular breathing rhythm of sleep in the room beyond. She stepped all the way out and soundlessly shut the door behind her.

Master Jinn was stretched out on the floor on his back with his Jedi robe for a blanket. Obi-Wan had passed from induced unconsciousness to a more peaceful sleep and was stretched out across the sleep couch on his stomach, one arm hanging off the side. The sight brought both a smile to her lips and bittersweet tears to her eyes.

She wanted nothing less than to lean over and catch his mouth in a last, passionate kiss but her fear of him waking was even greater so Nia satisfied her need by lightly brushing her lips against his temple. The padawan stirred in his sleep and mumbled something incoherent before settling down again.

The simple boyish-ness of the action reminded her that she was running away yet again, this time from the only person who had accepted her completely and not yet abandoned her in the land of the living. The realization and deep sense of loss brought forth a new pulse of tears and Nia was forced to crouch beside the sleep couch with her shields tight and arms wrapped around her midsection, head bowed as hot tears cascaded down her face and onto her clenched hands, and teeth biting into her bottom lip so hard in her effort to remain soundless that she tasted blood.

When the episode had passed and her trembling had eased, Nia forced herself to stand with strength she wasn?t sure she possessed.

Obi-Wan would be angry and hurt when he awoke, she knew. She only prayed he would understand that it was better this way, without the drawn-out arguments and good-byes.

There was something that connected them, something Nia couldn?t fully understand. She needed the Jedi Apprentice?s concern, unconditional love, support and his giving heart. And he?well, she supposed Obi-Wan was drawn to the fact that she was Force-sensitive and could identify and connect with him, yet had also experienced the laughs, joys, cruelties and heartbreaks of growing up outside the Jedi Temple. Either way, the glowing strand that connected his heart and life path to hers was undeniable. The concept she had try to scorn many a time throughout the past years now glared at her with the possibility that the ?will of the Force? wasn?t one of just senseless cruelty, suffering and death.

But even then, she couldn?t stay.

Nia felt like she had been scaling the harsh, desolate mountain of her life and had passed the steepest and most barren climb yet only to have her elation at finally reaching a peak almost utterly destroyed by finding only more mountains as far as the eye could see. She could carefully pick her way down one of the many trails to find more downhill skids, even ground, uphill climbs and treacherous footing or she could jump for the empty, brilliant blue sky and pray that the Force and the promise of Obi-Wan would catch her and help her fly. But before either could happen there was one last painful tie to the past that had to be severed.

And so despite her heart?s protestations, Nia found her body obeying her mind and slowly walking to the door. Just inside it she paused, unable to keep herself from turning back for one last glimpse. The Jedi hadn?t moved.

Would he try to come after her?

Nia brushed her mind lightly against the sleeping padawan?s, retreating swiftly as he unconsciously reached

Jedi Padawan Obi-Wan Kenobi was not aware of waking up. He was merely unconscious one moment and alert the next. He lay in bed with his eyes shut, his brain slowly puzzling itself awake beneath the closed lids.

The young man could not discern or recall any particular sound or movement that had awoken him beside the normal and obvious fact of it being after dawn and far past time to get up. Yet still, he knew without knowing. He didn?t have to open his eyes or do more than simply breathe in and out and he knew.

The thumping of hi heart seemed unnaturally loud within his body, and the traces of pain in his forehead and upper arm were fainter echoes of the same beat. The room was quiet around him, so quiet that he could have heard a pin drop. There was the lingering feel of her in the Force, of her smell in the air, of her voice in his ears, as thought he could still feel the shifting of air in her wake long after she had passed by.

She hadn?t even said goodbye.

Obi-Wan allowed the thought to roll around in his mind, examining the emotions it invoked. Anger. She hadn?t even said goodbye, instead she?d crept away in the middle of the night. And what was worse was that he had known she would, but she?d knocked him out before he could talk her out of it, because she?d known he would as well. Yes, the padawan decided; he had reason to be upset. He felt empty. Of course there was still the ever-present soothing warmth of his Master?s presence in the back of his mind, but overlying the more intangible threads that seemed to connect his and her very lives had been the constant, reassuring touch of her mind against his and now the slender bond he hadn?t even been aware of was uncomfortably silent and cool.

And overpowering all those thoughts and emotions was the bittersweet ache of hurt and regret in his heart.

She hadn?t even said goodbye.

He understood how her desire to stay with him and train in the Temple was torn by the memories of her harsh past, truly he did, but it still hurt.

There was the soft whisper of cloth against cloth across the room, interrupting the padawan?s musings and reminding him that he could not delay waking up and accepting the fact she was gone no matter how hard he tried.

?It?s time to get up, Padawan,? Qui-Gon said softly, gently.

Obi-Wan sighed. ?Yes, Master.?

Still he delayed for a few seconds before rolling onto his side and heaving himself to a sitting position. Across the room Qui-Gon observed him from a chair, his deep blue eyes quietly sympathetic, no words needed. He broke the silence with an amused twitch of his lips. ?Are you awake??

The twenty-one year old screwed up his face. ?I haven?t decided yet.?

The comment brought a gentle smile to Qui-Gon?s lips, followed by the suggestion, ?We should get something to eat.?

Obi-Wan considered it but amazingly discovered he wasn?t hungry, despite the physical exertion of the day before. ?Actually, Master, I would like to meditate for a while.?

The elder Jedi?s face wrinkled in concern and Obi-Wan felt a questioning brush across their bond that he responded to with a reassuring pulse. No, he wasn?t depressed or feeling unwell, he merely needed time to reflect and release his feelings to the Force. Qui-Gon?s face cleared and he nodded his acceptance. He stood and strode smoothly for the door, his voice keeping a cheerful, light tone. ?In that case I will find somewhere to contact the Council and bring back something edible for when you?re ready.?

Obi-Wan was grateful for the privacy, but found himself needing to know one last thing. ?Master??

Qui-Gon turned at the door. ?Yes, Padawan??

?Did she even leave a note??

Qui-Gon sighed. ?No, Padawan.?

When there was no reply he turned and left.

Obi-Wan slowly took up a cross-legged position on the floor and tried to relax, closing his eyes an

That was very touching, Gimpy. I love Qui's support that Obi knows is present even without words. Kinda makes you wish that's how it was in TPM, doesn't it?

Anyway- I almost thought I was reading the last post with the line "He found himself hoping that wherever she was, wherever she was headed, Nia Jade would find her peace. " And then I though, OH NO< she better NOT!!!!

Of course, you didn't so all is well However, you know what would make it even weller (that's *so* not a word)...A post!!! Yuppers! That would make everything terrific!

I apologize everyone, but I am experiencing MAJOR DARTH WRITER'S BLOCK on this story...which really sucks because there's not very much of it left!! The good news is that as a result, I thought up this other cool plot that I'm working on...

Anywho, I'm leaving for a week-long vacation down by Disneyland (wahoo!) so I'll *try* (key work being try!) to get a post up before I leave Monday but I'm not sure....